Meet Mikael

Mikael moved across the frozen landscape, blank as the swirling snow. The cold did not bother him, but he was mindful of his two much more mortal companions. Not so worried for the one girl, bound tightly in his own enchantments, but the snow bunting was a fairly delicate creature, and he intended to present her to Xavier with all of her extremities intact.

“Alyssa? How are you doing?”

The girl didn't speak so much as nod and squeak. Mikael felt less and less confident about this whole thing. Yes, the master vampire did like his girls obedient, but not lifeless. He hoped the princess of the Karune family warmed up a bit once they moved further south. He could understand her trepidation about finally leaving the family homestead -reading people was sickeningly easy- but all in all, he really didn't care. He'd only demanded the princess as tribute when Lillian had attacked him because he could, and because it would gall the Karune patriach. It was to annoy him, and disgrace him, nothing more. Honestly, he'd doubt Xavier would care about having such a distinguished pet added to his collection. Their names and titles meant almost nothing to him, from what Mikael could tell. As long as they had fur, or feathers, or scales.

He turned and caught Alyssa's chin, forcing her eyes to meet his.“Tell me true now, girl, do you need to stop? You are the most mortally bound of our party, it will always be you that we call halt for.” He softened his grip on her chin, letting the cold practicality drop from his voice as he continued. “There is no shame in it – know your weaknesses. That knowledge will become a strength. Do you need to stop?”

She gazed at him with wide eyes for a moment longer, then nodded.